|
Ken Lightner
Ken Lightner is a game designer with experience in multiple fields. His primary area of expertise is in computer games. Career Ken Lightner is the founder of Holistic Design. Lightner co-designed a tabletop miniatures spaceship combat game with Chris Wiese called '' Noble Armada'' (1998), designed to be compatible with the role-playing game ''Fading Suns''. Lightner was head of programming for video games at Holistic, while Andrew Greenberg directed development for video games. Lightner created additional game lines specifically for publication using the d20 System, including modern world military adventures such as ''Afghanistan'' (2002). Among his more notable successes with Holistic include ''Battles of Destiny'', ''Hammer of the Gods'', ''Final Liberation'', ''Machiavelli the Prince'', ''Merchant Prince II'', ''Emperor of the Fading Suns'', and '' Mall Tycoon''. He also worked heavily on a computer game called ''Noble Armada'' that never materialized. He has worked as a third-p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holistic Design, Inc
Holism () is the idea that various systems (e.g. physical, biological, social) should be viewed as wholes, not merely as a collection of parts. The term "holism" was coined by Jan Smuts in his 1926 book ''Holism and Evolution''."holism, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, September 2019, www.oed.com/view/Entry/87726. Accessed 23 October 2019. While his ideas had racist connotations, the modern use of the word generally refers to treating a person as an integrated whole, rather than as a collection of separate systems. For example, well-being may be regarded as not merely physical health, but also psychological and spiritual well-being. Meaning The exact meaning of "holism" depends on context. Jan Smuts originally used "holism" to refer to the tendency in nature to produce wholes from the ordered grouping of unit structures. However, in common usage, "holism" usually refers to the idea that a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.J. C. Poynton (1987) SMUTS'S HOLISM AND EVO ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Wiese
Chris Wiese is a role-playing game designer. Career Chris Wiese began in the gaming industry as the marketing director and acting CEO of Holistic Design. He is one of the current partners in the company. He has made contributions to a number of their products, most particularly in the design of deck plans such as the ''Letters of Marque'' starship line, along with ''Space Station Cirrus''. He is the co-designer (with Ken Lightner) of '' Noble Armada'', a miniatures game based on the flagship Holistic RPG ''Fading Suns''. He also was the primary developer for their other miniatures lines including ''Carnage'' and ''Fantasy Encounters''. He has also worked heavily with the miniatures company ''Metal Express LLC''. Under his tenure as vice president of GAMA, he more than doubled the income of the Origins Game Fair. With the retirement of the previous president, he was elected president. However, controversy over the wording over reforms to the GAMA charter, in part due to an effort ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noble Armada
''Noble Armada'' is a board game published by Holistic Design in 1998. Gameplay ''Noble Armada'' is a science fiction miniatures wargame involving spaceship combat, compatible with the ''Fading Suns'' role-playing game. The game also featured shipside boarding with soldiers fighting in the interiors of enemy ships. Publication history Shannon Appelcline explains that ''Noble Armada'', "co-designed by Holistic founder Ken Lightner and marketing guy Chris Wiese" was the first of "a slew of tabletop miniatures game releases" in 1998 from Holistic Design. Holistic also published a fully supported line of miniatures for the game. A second edition of the game was published in 2002. Two sets of deckplans for Noble Armada were released, one in 2005 and one in 2006. Mongoose Publishing began producing a new version of the game called ''A Call to Arms: Noble Armada'' (2011). This version used the "Call to Arms" system from Mongoose in the ''Fading Suns'' universe which was licensed by thei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fading Suns
''Fading Suns'' is a science fiction space opera role-playing game published by Holistic Design. The setting was also used for a PC game (''Emperor of the Fading Suns''), a live action role-playing game ('' Passion Play''), and for a space combat miniature game ('' Noble Armada''). History After the computer game '' Machiavelli the Prince'', Holistic Design decided to do something new - a space strategy computer game, which would eventually become ''Emperor of the Fading Suns'' (1996). Holistic brought on two experienced world designers, Andrew Greenberg and Bill Bridges, to create a cohesive and interesting universe for the game, which would also be used as the basis for a tabletop role-playing game to be released simultaneously. Greenberg and Bridges had helped define the style of White Wolf Publishing's World of Darkness and, according to Shannon Appelcline, people noticed this game's similarity to the "White Wolf style". Appelcline comments further: "Fading Suns is uniqu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrew Greenberg
Andrew Greenberg is a game designer of tabletop role-playing games and role-playing video games. Career Greenberg was one of White Wolf Publishing's original developers on '' Vampire: The Masquerade'' (1991). He was the line editor for ''Vampire'', and as one of the early World of Darkness developers, he helped develop the look and tone of that series. He authored the supplement ''Chicago by Night''. After years with White Wolf, he joined Holistic Design, Inc. (HDI), where he co-created '' Fading Suns'' (1996) with Bill Bridges. Greenberg managed video game development at Holistic and worked on computer games like ''Emperor of the Fading Suns'' and '' Mall Tycoon''. He was a co-writer of ''Dracula Unleashed''. Greenberg produced a d20 version of the role-playing game '' Rapture: The Second Coming'' (2002). Greenberg helped found the Mythic Imagination Institute and is co-chair of the Mythic Journeys convention. In 2007, he began teaching video game design classes at the Ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Of The Fading Suns
''Emperor of the Fading Suns'' is a turn-based strategy 4X video game developed by Holistic Design, based on their in-house role-playing game setting '' Fading Suns''. It was released for Microsoft Windows in February 1997. The game had a wide array of units and a complex back-story but was rushed to market and released with numerous severe flaws and several features underdeveloped. In patched form, it survives as a popular abandonware title with numerous unofficial, fan-made mods. On October 19, 2020, it was made available on GOG.com. Gameplay The game is played on a galactic map and specific planet maps. Planet maps use a hexa-grid system for movement. Individual units and buildings take up a single grid space. Several menus handle diplomacy, chat, and documentation. In the game, the player controls a feudal lord of a noble house amongst the ruins of a galactic empire. The player must battle other noble houses and rally enough support to be crowned Emperor of the galaxy. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mall Tycoon
''Mall Tycoon'' is a business simulation game, released in 2002 for Windows 95/98/ME. It was developed by Holistic Designs and published by Take-Two Interactive. It has two sequels: Mall Tycoon 2 (which also had a "Deluxe" extended edition) and Mall Tycoon 3. Gameplay The game begins with an empty plot of land upon which the player develops their mall. The player can build shops, customize decorations, organize special events such as fashion shows, and manage mall employees. It is important for the player to work out what is profitable and what is not to ensure the survival of the fledgling mall. The mall may become overrun with zombies or aliens which can be eradicated when the player calls upon the Men in Black. Development The game was developed by Holistic Design, creator of the '' Merchant Prince'' series. Reception In the United States, ''Mall Tycoon'' sold 420,000 copies and earned $7.6 million by August 2006, after its release in January 2002. It was the country's 36th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MicroProse
MicroProse is an American video game publisher and video game developer, developer founded by Bill Stealey, Sid Meier, and Andy Hollis in 1982. It developed and published numerous games, including starting the ''Civilization (series), Civilization'' and ''X-COM'' series. Most of their internally developed titles were vehicle simulation game, vehicle simulation and strategy video game, strategy games. In 1993, the company lost most of its UK-based personnel and became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte. Subsequent cuts and corporate policies led to Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs and Brian Reynolds (game designer), Brian Reynolds leaving and forming Firaxis Games in 1996, as MicroProse closed its ex-Simtex development studio in Austin, Texas. In 1998, following an unsuccessful buyout attempt by GT Interactive, the struggling MicroProse (Spectrum HoloByte) became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hasbro Interactive and its development studios in Alameda, California and Chapel Hill, North Carolina ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eden Studios, Inc
Eden Studios, Inc. is an American role-playing game publisher founded in 1996 by George Vasilakos, M. Alexander Jurkat, and Ed Healy. Currently run by Mr. Vasilakos, Eden Studios is best known for ''Conspiracy X'', the ''Buffyverse role-playing games'', '' All Flesh Must Be Eaten'', '' CJ Carella's WitchCraft'' and most recently for the '' City of Heroes Roleplaying Game'', an unreleased adaptation of Cryptic Studios' MMORPG ''City of Heroes''. Although there has been no activity or news from the company in over a year, with their Facebook page's last post in November 2020. It is unknown at this time if the company is active. Games * '' Abduction: The Card Game'' * ''Adventure Maximus'' * '' All Flesh Must Be Eaten'' * ''Angel'' (Origins Award winner for ''Roleplaying Game of 2003'') and '' Buffy: The Vampire Slayer'' * '' Armageddon: The End Times'' * ''Army of Darkness'' * ''Beyond Human'' * ''Conspiracy X'' * ''Eden Studios Presents'' (''Unisystem'') * '' Ghosts of Albion R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Heat Games
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when observing light with a dominant wavelength between approximately 450 and 495 nanometres. Most blues contain a slight mixture of other colours; azure contains some green, while ultramarine contains some violet. The clear daytime sky and the deep sea appear blue because of an optical effect known as Rayleigh scattering. An optical effect called Tyndall effect explains blue eyes. Distant objects appear more blue because of another optical effect called aerial perspective. Blue has been an important colour in art and decoration since ancient times. The semi-precious stone lapis lazuli was used in ancient Egypt for jewellery and ornament and later, in the Renaissance, to make the pigment ultramarine, the most expensive of all pigments. In the eight ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
